• Putin decides to lend Belarus $600 million

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to grant Minsk a $600 million government loan, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters on Monday. The funds will be used to refinance the repayment of prior loans issued by Moscow.

    Siluanov also noted that, by the end of April, Belarus may also receive a $200 million tranche from the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD).

    According to the finance minister, the countries are currently discussing the procedures …

  • Ukrainian POWs made to undergo psychiatric examinations in Russia

    Second rank Captain Denys Hrytsenko, one of the Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia off the coast of Crimea, said that he and his fellow prisoners of war Mykhailo Vlasyuk, Andriy Drach and Vyacheslav Zynchenko were taken to the Serbsky Center in Moscow to undergo psychiatric examinations.

    Hrytsenko’s account reaches us through his Russian attorney, Nikolai Polozov.

    “During the examination, Denys Hrytsenko responded to the experts’ questions in accordance with Article 17 of the Third Geneva …

  • Putin and Netanyahu hold telephone conversation to discuss situation in Syria

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation, reported by the Kremlin's press service.

    "The issues of bilateral cooperation, including military contacts, as well as the situation in the Middle East region were discussed," the Kremlin reports.

    According to the Kremlin, the phone conversation took place at the initiative of the Israeli side.

    Earlier, Israeli media reported, citing sources in the government, that Benjamin Netanyahu …

  • Gazprom CEO sees no obstacles for Nord Stream-2

    The head of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, in the interview with the program Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. stated that there are no obstacles for the construction of Nord Stream-2 and promised to complete the laying of two gas lines by the end of 2019, reports RIA Novosti.

    “All those statements that have been made lately do not reflect reality. In general, there are no fatal legal obstacles that would make us think that we can not complete the construction of Nord Stream 2 before the end of 2019,” said …

  • Russia to sell Egypt Su-35 fighter jets for $2 billion

    Russia has agreed to sell Cairo several dozen Su-35 multipurpose fighter jets for a price of $2 billion, Kommersant reports, citing two senior managers in the Russian defense industry.

    Egypt will also be buying MiG-29M and 29M2 fighters. At present, the Egyptian Air Force is using US-produced F-16s, French Mirage 2000s, Soviet-era MiG-21s and Chinese J-7s.

    According to an agreement signed at the end of 2018, Russia will also supply aircraft weaponry. The delivery is scheduled for 2020-2021. …